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I'm moving to a new desk and everyone is super annoyed because we have to get government security clearance for this for some reason, I guess the company we'll be servicing deals with the military or something. It is a huge clusterfuck and it's making me really uncomfortable and stressing me out giving out all this information for this kind of job.
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Sep 20, 2013 15:45
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Loving Life Partner posted:The most telling thing about a call center job is how after a weekend or extended break you don't go back feeling "recharged" and ready to do your best, you go back feeling like you got submarined by life back into a lovely situation. Definitely. You feel like you get a taste of life where people aren't yelling at you over trite issues, plug in the headset, watch the computer clock click over 1 minute before your shift, and then change states and get the first terrible sound of a call patching in.
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Sep 20, 2013 16:23
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I've been out of call centers for more than a year (finally got my teaching cert) and I still hear that horrible beeping noise and whisper in my nightmares.
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Sep 20, 2013 18:51
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Blue Steel posted:Definitely. You feel like you get a taste of life where people aren't yelling at you over trite issues, plug in the headset, watch the computer clock click over 1 minute before your shift, and then change states and get the first terrible sound of a call patching in. This is so unbelievably true. I just had four days off a while ago and the second you sit down and get ready it's all gone and meaningless. The worst at my current job is my team: it is entirely made up of people who have been doing this job for ten years. I am aghast that that might be me one day! Terrified, even. And that management fast track thing? They just cancelled me because, apparently, union regulations prohibit me from being considered; I haven't worked there long enough. I am ready to punch a kitten. Figuratively, I'd never punch a kitten - the HR people, on the other hand...
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Sep 20, 2013 21:07
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Getting Security Clearance is a massive pain in the rear end. Oh my god.
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Sep 23, 2013 18:31
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100 HOGS AGREE posted:Getting Security Clearance is a massive pain in the rear end. Oh my god. It's usually a multi-month long process depending on the type of security clearance you're getting.
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Sep 24, 2013 00:57
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I think it's a pretty low level clearance , at least. I'm not totally sure but I think we need it because we're going to be servicing a company that deals with military healthcare and benefits. Something like that. I already said that like 8 posts ago what a loving week. I've been copying and pasting shitloads of knowledge base articles for days my brain is all mush. The old base we have to port over isn't very good or even sensibly organized, so it all has to be done manually. 100 HOGS AGREE fucked around with this message at 03:02 on Sep 24, 2013 |
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Sep 24, 2013 02:53
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A DoD secret clearance is a simple background check and a questionnaire, possibly an interview. It's also something that you can put on your CV when you're looking for another job. 
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Sep 24, 2013 06:02
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 "I need to cancel my policy, I was completely dissatisfied with your claims service"*looks at policy, sees policy started 09/16, claim filed 09/16 for accident, claim was quickly denied* 
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Sep 24, 2013 14:30
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It was fun to deny comprehensive claims whenever the customer would purchase the coverage the day a hailstorm moves through and totals their car.
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Sep 24, 2013 15:27
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Loving Life Partner posted:
So I'm assuming the answer here is "Ahahahahahahaha. No."
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Sep 24, 2013 15:28
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rolleyes posted:So I'm assuming the answer here is "Ahahahahahahaha. No." Now IRT the claim, thats different. Obviously it would be denied.
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Sep 24, 2013 16:40
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Blue Steel posted:It was fun to deny comprehensive claims whenever the customer would purchase the coverage the day a hailstorm moves through and totals their car. You can get it on if the hail is coming as long as the car isn't damaged yet and there are no binding restrictions in place, at least at my company. And yeah this guy obviously had an accident then called us and purchased coverage thinking it'd cover or thinking he was better at fraud than he is. It's amazing how cavalier people are about defrauding insurance companies, they feel like they pay so much and get so little for it but spoilers: it'd be cheaper for everyone if nobody comitted fraud 
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Sep 24, 2013 17:08
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Loving Life Partner posted:You can get it on if the hail is coming as long as the car isn't damaged yet and there are no binding restrictions in place, at least at my company. At mine we deny the claim if they choose comprehensive only for when hail storms are being predicted. I've had quite a few silly claims that I've denied and have probably missed even more fraud cases. One guy didn't carry collision, only comp, and splattered some blood and deer hair on his car for an obvious accident with a pole or something on the side of his car and tried to get it covered. 
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Sep 24, 2013 17:37
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Well, that's a good point, I dunno if claims behind the scenes does a 'bad faith' denial based on whether or not they're gaming the system. Once big storms are predicted and hitting, we go into binding restriction mode and won't allow those types of coverages to be added though, I figured if you get in before the restrictions, then you're good.
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Sep 24, 2013 18:28
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You'd be good. It's a lot cheaper to pay a claim than a bad faith lawsuit.
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Sep 25, 2013 02:29
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No attorney worth anything is going to sue an insurance company over an auto claim being denied in those circumstances. Heck, lots of claimants get raked over the coals when their car is totaled due to terrible valuation methods most insurance companies employ and attorneys won't touch even those cases because there's no money in it unless there's bodily injury.
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Sep 25, 2013 03:27
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Bad faith lawsuits are serious cash. It's not a property damage claim at that point. If you owe the claim and you don't pay up, you can expect at least a DOI complaint and at worst a bad faith claim. If someone just started a policy or added coverage and you can't prove fraud, you're paying the claim.
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Sep 25, 2013 04:11
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e: talking about insurance in call center thread, sorry for the derail.
Blue Steel fucked around with this message at 14:42 on Sep 25, 2013 |
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Sep 25, 2013 14:31
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Bovril Delight posted:Bad faith lawsuits are serious cash. It's not a property damage claim at that point. If you owe the claim and you don't pay up, you can expect at least a DOI complaint and at worst a bad faith claim. If someone just started a policy or added coverage and you can't prove fraud, you're paying the claim. The insurance company I used to work for would go into their systems to find out the exact time of day the policy was taken out or reinstated if a claim was filed for something that happened that day. If it was just a case of crappy luck, we'll probably pay. If it was clearly a case of you taking out the policy after the accident, you're screwed. In call center related news...so far, my three hours a day on the chat line is an exercise in tedium. Because I don't take direct chats, I get transferred 1-3 chats per 3 hour shift on that line. Mostly I dick around online and occasionally answer questions for other team members. It's nice to kind of chill, but it gets kind of dull. I asked if I could start studying for some financial licenses to begin career progression (might as well do something with my time), but our next enrollment for that isn't until next year. So, for now anyway, I will luxuriate in my boredom.
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Sep 25, 2013 15:15
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The newest level of bullshit at my work is that two TLs resigned (one in a hilarious and vulgar blaze of glory) and they've announced two TL positions that are available. A day after handing out a poo poo ton of verbal/written warnings, effectively making 95% of the department (aside from QA, Performance Coaches, trainers and a choice few people on the floor) ineligible to apply. Woo. Hoo.
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Sep 25, 2013 15:27
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cuntvalet posted:The newest level of bullshit at my work is that two TLs resigned (one in a hilarious and vulgar blaze of glory) and they've announced two TL positions that are available. A day after handing out a poo poo ton of verbal/written warnings, effectively making 95% of the department (aside from QA, Performance Coaches, trainers and a choice few people on the floor) ineligible to apply. Woo. Hoo. That's probably the intention. They always know who they want for those roles.
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Sep 25, 2013 16:47
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At my call center they always have the positions picked before the announcement ever goes out. Hell they never even posted for the promotion I got. So that timing was on purpose for sure
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Sep 25, 2013 17:39
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TokenTrevor posted:At my call center they always have the positions picked before the announcement ever goes out. Hell they never even posted for the promotion I got. I don't know if it's a federal thing or state, but around here it's law that they have to post any open positions for a week, even if they're hiring from within and they already have someone picked.
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Sep 25, 2013 19:07
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EvilHawk posted:The first was when he was swearing loudly in the canteen, then walked through the lobby to the smoking area with a cigarette in his mouth (thankfully it wasn't lit). His reaction to this was "I don't know what their problem is". I must admit that I am guilty of this. At my old job (7+ years with the company) I was well-known as the guy who could answer ANY question, at ANY time. The unlit-cig-in-mouth was a nonverbal signal not to loving stop me and ask me a goddamned question, about ANYTHING, because I was on my way to a break. Most everyone in that building understood what it meant... I timed it once. On an average day, I could start out walking from the north end of the building with a helpful expression on my face, and it'd take 45min to make it to the south end of the building, if I stopped to help everyone / every question that came up. Hence the hanging ciggy signifying "I'm on break, I'm not here to help"
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Sep 26, 2013 02:45
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I work phone tech support and it is easy as hell and I get bonuses constantly.
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Sep 26, 2013 12:03
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I've just finished my first week of call-center training. I go on the phones next week. It all seems fairly easy and straightforward so far. We'll see.
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Sep 27, 2013 23:22
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foobyfooby posted:I've just finished my first week of call-center training. I go on the phones next week. It all seems fairly easy and straightforward so far. What kind of calls will you be taking?
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Sep 28, 2013 03:20
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I'm the manager of a small support group in a company that has thousands of employees worldwide. I've spent every work day of the last 15 years of my life dealing directly with customers, and to this day I take queue calls: not because it's part of my job description, but because I enjoy keeping my hand in. I started as first level support, and I don't want to become disassociated from what my guys deal with every day. We pay attention to metrics, all the way up to the top of the organization, but it's always with a grain of salt. I know, my manager knows, and my manager's manager knows, that there's a lot more to the story than what metrics can tell you. The focus is on customer satisfaction and relationship building, not on how many tickets you can close per day. Call center jobs can be miserable, but there are also real jobs, in good companies, for good pay and benefits, in this field. Speaking as a manager, the "call center" stigma means I can have a hell of a time finding quality candidates when I have an open req. I'm interviewing for a position right now, and my recruiter is jumping through hoops trying to find me decent people to talk to. It's frustrating, and I know it's because so many people who would be genuinely good at the job got burned in a sweatshop environment, and vowed "never again".
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Sep 28, 2013 03:43
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As one of the sweatshop kind of employees I have to admit I am a little jealous. In my place, I am the only one left from my training group. We started three months ago. HR lied about everything you can possibly imagine, the advertised chances for advancement tend to disappear for everyone for shady reasons just as they are about to receive them and worst is probably that the company I work makes lying seem like a competition. Somewhat amusingly, the company whose product we support is just as crooked. A few days ago, a customer wanted to get his money back for a product. He had all the info but was missing one piece of not-crucial paper. I overheard what we told him: "Sir, you can just go to this department to get this paper; then we can process your claim." - thing is, that process of getting that (unimportant) paper takes 4-6 weeks here. However, the case is automatically closed and impossible to be reopened - after ten days! And everyone who works there knows that. On a positive note, I have two job interviews lined up. One is another call center, but in-house with a good reputation and twice the pay, but the other is a challenging office job for a really cool company. Oh, and today is the morale-building team event. It's my day off, it starts at 8pm and I work early in the morning tomorrow, on Sunday. I can feel my morale soar already.
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Sep 28, 2013 07:16
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rockinricky posted:What kind of calls will you be taking? I don't want to get too detailed, but it'll be outbound survey-type calls to existing customers. I mean, it's still call center, but I can already see a huge difference between this and Convergys, where HR made it seem like a nirvana of a workplace and lied about the pay, the benefits, and even the job. I was hired there for tech support and then first day of training, they're talking about effective sales techniques and how to hoodwink people on fixed incomes into signing up for enormous satellite TV packages they didn't want or need. Everyone was like, the hell? We were told we'd be doing tech support for existing customers, not talking circles around grandmas trying to cancel the sports package after their husband died. I'm just waiting for the rug to be pulled out from under me. Health insurance? Good pay, with shift differential and overtime available if I want? Convergys burned me on those things and I'm basically expecting the bomb to drop- this call center job seems too good to be true. There HAS to be a lie in there somewhere.
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Sep 28, 2013 18:29
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I just heard a call center manager encourage (but not require) employees to not record breaks on their time sheets in order to increase their productivity. He said they could record it if they wanted to, but it wouldn't look as good for them. Is this type of thing common? edit: not referring to lunch breaks, but just normal short ones in the course of a day Xandu fucked around with this message at 06:39 on Oct 1, 2013 |
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Oct 1, 2013 06:36
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Non-lunch breaks should be on the clock anyway, iirc, so I suppose it would look better.
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Oct 1, 2013 06:40
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Removing your breaks would make you look LESS productive surely? If productivity is a measure of time spent working versus time you were SUPPOSED to be working then breaks should be removed. It doesn't help utilisation either as you're still working the same amount of time, you just now have time unaccounted for.
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Oct 1, 2013 06:42
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Stated that backwards. He said they shouldn't record breaks as hours worked at all. So if they worked 20 hours a week, but say 2 of those hours were spent taking breaks, they should only record having worked 18, essentially. So they'd look more productive when you look at calls per hour worked. My question/hesitation with that is that if they remove those 2 hours, then they're only getting paid for 18 hours worked, not 20. So I was curious if that was common.
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Oct 1, 2013 06:43
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I'm pretty sure it's illegal, but with some of the stories we've had in here I wouldn't be at all surprised if it's common.
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Oct 1, 2013 06:47
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Oh hey I am getting a 16% incentive for fulfilling the basic functions of my job. Ugh call centers. (USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST)
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Oct 1, 2013 08:53
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Man you're so cool.
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Oct 1, 2013 09:28
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Nobody has ever sounded as loving dumb as a southern American human being saying "do what now?" just as slow and stupid as they god damned please.
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Oct 1, 2013 12:39
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Xandu posted:Stated that backwards. He said they shouldn't record breaks as hours worked at all. So if they worked 20 hours a week, but say 2 of those hours were spent taking breaks, they should only record having worked 18, essentially. So they'd look more productive when you look at calls per hour worked. Federal labor law distinguishes between breaks, or 'short periods of rest from 5-20 minutes', and meal periods of at least 30 minutes. Breaks must be compensated, though meal periods do not have to be. Working an 8 hour day but being told to record 7.5 of that because you had two 15 minute breaks is illegal.
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Oct 1, 2013 13:29
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